GEORGE MARCGBAVE 263 



of a local fish fauna outside of the Mediterranean region, and reflects great 

 credit on Markgraf and the illustrious Prince, whose assistant he was. . . . There 

 were no other similar attempts of importance for a hundred years. . . . 



Since copies of his figures are at hand for illustrating them, the 

 present writer wishes to give here Marcgrave's descriptions of two 

 rather well-known fishes as illustrative of the accuracy of his observa- 

 tions and the care with which he recorded them. 



The first, whose figure, number 1, is herewith reproduced from his 

 " Natural History of Brazil," 12 is the spotted sting ray which we know 

 as Aetobatus narinari. Marcgrave's description is as follows: 



Of the several species of fish called "Narinari" by the Brazilians, the one 

 which we have described here is Narinari pinima. It is called "Raja" by the 

 Portuguese, and " Pylsteerte " or "Siecle" by the Dutch. It is a Marina 

 pastinaca. 



Its body is large, broad, almost triangular in shape, extending out on both 

 sides into very broad triangular wings, which are fleshy in their make up. Near 

 the tail it has two fins about the size of one's hand rounded in outline and of 

 equal length. Its head, which is thick, compressed and furrowed in the middle, 

 is about as large as that of a good-sized pig. 



The mouth rounded underneath is triangular, compressed a little and ter- 

 minates in a snout. The opening of the mouth is on the ventral surface, 5 inches 

 from the end of the snout. The mouth is 2* inches wide, toothless, but having 

 in the place of teeth a lower jaw in the shape of a tongue. This is 4 inches long, 

 li inches wide, and reaches to the external opening of the mouth. Likewise 

 there is an upper jaw placed crosswise, 2 inches long and as many wide. 



The lower jaw consists of 17 hard white bones having the shape of the 

 letter V and firmly joined to the membranes. Underneath there lie 17 other 

 bones, one under each, of spongy appearance but not so hard. The upper jaw 

 consists of 14 bones, shaped like the letter I and also joined together by mem- 

 branes. Likewise there lie above these 14 other bones. Moreover, the two jaws 

 are joined to the other bones of the head by membranes (cartilages). 



The cavity of the skull, wherein the brain lies, is about 6 inches long and 

 hardly 2 wide. The snout is wholly cartilaginous. The fish has two small eyes 

 about the size of a nummus misnicus. Behind these eyes on each side is a large 

 breathing hole capable of holding an apple of ordinary size. Within these holes 

 the leaves of the gills lie hidden. On the lower side at the (hinder) end of the 

 head are five oblong incisions. 



The whole upper surface of the body is of a dark (ferreus) color with white 

 spots the size of a nummus misnicus scattered over it, while the under part is 

 entirely white. The skin is everywhere smooth and without scales. 



The length of the body from the end of the snout to the root of the tail 

 is one and one half feet; the width between the extremities of the triangular 

 wings is 3 feet 10 inches. The length of the fins near the tail is 7 inches, the 

 width 4. The length of the head is 10 inches, the width 7, and it is 1* feet thick. 

 The tail is 4 feet 3 inches long and its thickness at the beginning is 5 inches, 

 but it gradually becomes thinner. A little behind the beginning of the tail, there 

 is a small short fin a little more than an inch long; and just behind this standing 



12 The Library of Congress possesses two copies of this rare work. One has 

 the wood cuts plain, the other colored by hand. The writer's own copy has 

 plain figures. 



